Flattening table for continuous sheet glass



.n.fl.; DRAKE E-r AL i FLATTENING TABLE FOR CUNTINUOUS .SHEET AGLASS .4

- Filed Jan. so, 1924' 2 'signs-sheen '2 Arm/@Mfr i drawing the glass sheet from its molten Fatented ar. lO, 1925.

f t5 f. NT @niet i.;

JOHN'L. DEAKE AND LEWIS n. ELACKSHEEE, or CHARLESTON, WEST VIRGINIA, As-

sIGNoRs To THE LIBEEY-OWENS SHEET GLASS OOMPANSL OE TOLEDO, OHIO, A

CORPORATION OF OHIO.

l FLATTIE.1\TIl\T(:`r TABLE FOR CONTINUOUS SHEET GLASS.

. Application led January 30, 1924. Serial No. 689,406.l

T 0 r/ZZ whom f/'zf may Concern.'

Be it known that we, JOHN L. DRAKE and Lnwis D. lmciisirnnn, citlzens of the United States,'residing at Charleston, in the county ot Kanawha and State of Vest Virginia, have invented new and 'useful Improvements in Flattening Tables for Continuous Sheet Glass. o'twhich the following is a specification. This invention relates to improvements in the art of drawing sheet glass, and more partieularl)v to an improved form of drawing and flattening table for the continuous glass sheet.

vIn certain forms of sheet-glass drawing apparatus. for example that disclosed in the patent to Colburn, 1,248,809, granted December 4. 191i'. the sheet of glass, after being drawn vertically. from the molten source and bent intothe horizontalplane .about a rotating bending roll, passes onto the flat upper-surface of a horizontally traveling table or conveyor. This flattening-table comprises an endless flexible belt, consisting ot' a series of pivotally connected metallic links, the belt passing about a pair of supporting drums at the two ends of the the belt being slidably supported on the flat upper surface ofa stationaryv table mounted between the two drums. The plastic glass sheet 1is carried by the flat upper surface of4 this linked belt and settles thereupon, becoming absolutely' flat while being carried along. and with the con veyor belt. The friction of the sheet resting upon the traveling table serves to provide the tractive pull for source. This frictional engagement Vwith the table may be increased if necessary by providing a second endless drawing 1ne m' bervwhich rests its weight upon the upper surface of the glass sheet while the shtet is upon the linked conveyor belt.

- It is obviously essential that the upper sheet-supporting sur-fare of the upper run Of'the linked belt be absolutely fiat and horizontal at all times, when in contact with t-he lass, or that anydeviation from this flat orizontal condition fbe downwardly from the sheet so that at no time does any portion of any link extend above the level of the horizontal run of the sheet ofglass, else the deviations from this plane will be transferred to and cause impressions in the plastic glass sheet which rests thereupon. Tith the forni of belt heretofore -in use, impressionor defects in thev glass sheet have soin-ciones been caused by the failure of the links in the belt to pass from the curved end portions of their orbit into the upper flat horizontal portion, or from vthis upper run into the other curved end portion of their orbit without buckling-up or projecting into the horizontal plane occupied b v the plastic glass sheet. The reasons vfor this lift-ing of the ends of the links at `the ends ofthe run` of the belt willl be explained in detail hereinafter.

The object of the present invention is to provide an Aimproved `form of link for use. in the flatteningv and coniieying belt above described, in combination with an improved arrangement of the supporting drums and stationary supporting table, so that the causes for buckling or lifting of the links at the two ends of their upper horizontal run will be entirely eliminated. Other objects and advantages of this invention will be more apparent frOmthefollowing detailed description of certain approved forms of theapparatus. `In the accompanying drawings: A

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal verticalfsection through thatportion ofi the sheet-drawing mechanism which includes the iiattening table hereinafter described.

the arrangement of the intermeshing pivoted links. l

Fig. 3 is a perspective of one of the improved links. Figs. 4 and 5 show alternative forms of links, embodying the principles of this invention. ,l

Figs. 6, 7 and 8 are detailed views illustrating the operation of these links while passing from one of the drums onto the' stationary supporting table.

Figs. 9, 10 and l1 are diagrams illustrating the action of the form of links heretofore in use, and the defects that are avoided by the presentinvention.l

Referring irst to Figs. land 2, the glass sheet l is drawn upwardly from its molten source, and while still plastic is bent about the bending rol1 2 into the horizontal plane.

2.o tioned'within the belt loop. Atthe ends of 'sheet adjacent the edges .to avoid the pos# The sheet is then reheated to increase its -plasticity and after passing over certain intermediate supportin rollers, such as 3' and 4, it passes onto the rawing and flattening table forming the subject-matter of this invention.v` This table comprises an endless` flexible sheet-supporting conveyor belt 5 formed of a series of pivotally connected interlneshing links 6. These .links' are all of the same for1n,'and as show-n in Fig. 2,

" lthe links'are arranged in an overlappingand intermeshing'- relation with' their pivoted on continuous. cross-shafts or pivot 'pins' 7,which extend completely across' the' width of the belt'. r1 he sheet of glass rests upon theg'upper fiat horizontal surfaces 8 of the linksz Duringy the upper horizontal sheetcarrying -run of this belt, it travels along and slides upon the `flat horizontal surface o f-a stationary supporting table 9 posithe loop the linked\belt travels'arounda -pair' of supporting drums 10 and 11, rotat- 'ably supported adjacent theends of table 9.

Sprocket wheels 'arranged at suitablev in- '..tervalsin the respective drums 10 and 11 llavetheir teeth 12 projecting into the spaces The drum' 11 and corresponding sprocket wheels are- 13v between certain of the links.

ydriven to draw the linked conveyor belt across the table 9 and around the belt-cariying drums 10 .and 11. The\lower idle run o f v the belt maybe supported by a cylindrical table an endless chain of cross-bars 15 'mounted on sprockets 16 is driven at a speed drum' 14'to'pre'vent excessive sagging of the lower portion of the belt. Above. this supporting and flattening corresponding to that of the sheet and conwill rest upon the'upper surfaces of the` sheet and hold the sheet securely in engagement withthe supporting conveyor table. Usually the cross-bars 15 are elevated at their central portions, so that they only rest on the glass sibility of marring the upper sheet surface. Sometimes theuse of this upper chain of wel hted bars is unnecessary as the traction of t e'glass sheet upon th'e conveyor table -5 isl suflicient to draw the sheet from its molten source. Also rollers resting upon the uppersurfaceof portions of the sheet are sometimes used provide vthe necessary traction..-

In the conveyor belts the links have had a flat straight lower surface, similar tothe upper'sheet-carrying sur.-

. face 8, this fiat surface slidingupon the supportin table 9 and 'resting during the `curved en portions ofthe belts orbitupon thecylindrical surfaces of the drums 1 O and 11. The action of this construction. of link is` shown diagrammatically in Figs.'` 9, 10- and 11. Referring vfirst to Fig. 9, thsdia ends 5 previously in use,

grani illustrates the action of this forinof link with the flat lower supporting surface, when the vstationary supporting table 9 is positioned with its upper link supporting surface tangent tothe cylindrical surface of druni 10. It will be noted that each of the links, such as 17, while passing about the on its lower surface. The en ds of the links, such as its pivotal connection 19 with adjacent link 20, will be elevated away from the supporting surface of the drum. As the links passlaround the upper portion of .the drum 'into vthe horizontal plane this lifted end of the link will -.be projectednp above the normal 'plan'e of the lower surface of thev glass sheet, thus causingthe sheet to be' druin 10, will contact with the supporting` -d-ruin 10 only at a central point, such as 18,

lifted or buloed u'iwardl at this oi'nt as e l Y P change in direction in the travel of the links from the surface of drum 10 to the surface its,

It has also been attempted, as illustrated in Fig. 11, to tilt the end of table 9 downwardly as at 27, to provide a more gradual of table. 9. However, with this construction,

although 'the'lifting error is decreased, it will be noted that as link`28^rides over the point 2,9 wherethe'sloped po'rtion27 joins with the 'horizontal portion of the table 9, thepivoted ends 30 of adjoining links 28 and 31'will be lifted to some extent vabove vthe horizontal plane in which the lower portici/L of the glass sheet should remain y The improved formof link forming a tionwas designed to avoid the defects noted* i above'. .Referring to Figs. 3, 6, 7 and 8, it Awill be noted that this new link has an upper flat sheet-supporting surface 8 similar to the the link is provided with a pivothole 32 adapted to be journaled upon one of the 'pivot pins 7. The end portions of the lower vsurface'of the link around to the points (L and b (Fig. 3)'are formed as continuations of the arcuate surfaces 33 at the ends of the links. These arcuate surfaces are centered at the pivotal axes 34 of pivot 'holes 32.`

These lower arcuate supporting surfaces 35 are the portions of the link which slide upon the upper' horizontal supporting surface of table 9 as the belt moves across this table. The remainder of the lower surface of link 6 between the points a and b is type of links formerly in use. At each end 1 10.` portion of the subjectmatter of this invenformed with a reversed arcuate curvature 36 corresponding to the curvature of the cylindrical link-supporting surface of one of the drums l() or 11. p

Referring now to Figsv, 7 and 8, it will be noted that the upper surface of supporting table 9 is positioned tangential to the cylindrical surface of drum l0. When one of the links, such as 37, Fig. 6, rests upon the cylindrical surface of drumv l0, it will be noted that both the end arcuate supporting surfaces 35 and the central supporting surface 36, rest in'contact with the cylindrical surface of the drum. The distance from each o f the pivot centers 34 to the cylindrical supporting surface of the drum will be just equal to the radius of curvature of arcuate supporting surfaces 35. Now when 'one of these links. such as 38 (Fig. 8), rests upon the supporting table 9, the two arcuate supporting surfaces 35 will' be simultane passed onto the supporting table 9.

ously in contact with the table top and the distance from the pivot centers 34 to the supporting tabletop will be, as before, just equal to the radius of curvature of arcuate surfaces 35. It. will bel seen that there will be no tendency for one of the pivot centers to move away from the cylindrical surface of the drum 10 a distance greater than this radius of curvature until the links have As shown vin Fig. .6, the pivoted ends 39 of two ,adjacent links areexactly above the axes of the drum l0, but there is no'tendency for' this pivoted connection to lift up above the` drum as shown in Fig. 9, and no portion of' either of the adjacent links will project above the normal horizontal plane occupied by the lower surface of glass sheet 1. As the links pass on around drum l() onto table 9,

as shown in Fig. 7, they may either pass directly onto this table or if the chain werel sufiiciently slack the pi/votal connection 40 might rest u on the drum surface after this end of the link has passed r,beyond the vertical center of drum 10. In this case the link will not contact immediately with the lowersurface of sheet 1, but will be pushed up into engagement with the sheetas the lower arcuate surface 36 of the link rides over the end 41 ofthe supporting table. This end 41 of the table acting against the lower curved supporting surface 36,` will push the link upinto th'e position shown at 38 in Fig.- 8, but at no timewill any portion of this link or the next adjacent link project above the plane of the lower surface of glass i sheet 1.

The same series of movements will'take place in av reversed order at the opposite i end' of the belt loop, where the links pass shown in Figs. et and 5, might be used, the

essential features ofthis link being that the lower central portion of the link beicutaway sufiiciently to allow the lowerrarcuate end vsurfaces of the link to rest simultaneously .upon either the supporting surface of one of the cylindrical drums,'or upon the supporting surface. of table 9.

l Claims: I l. A drawinga and Hatte/ning table. for

sheet-glass, comprising in combination la pair of rotary cylindrical drums, a stationary vtable positioned between the drums and i will be from the fiat link-supporting surface of the table. vwhile on the table.

2. A drawing and flattening table for sheet-glass. comprising lin* combination a pair of rotary cylindrical drums, a stationary table positioned between theA drums andv having a flat upper supporting surface tangent to the upper arcs of the drums, and a flexible link belt adapted toxtravel around the drums and over the table, the belt consisting of a plurality of pivotallyconnected links. each link having a flat upper sheet.- supporting surface, and a lower surface of such conformation that the pivot centers of the links will be the same distance from the cylindrical link-supporting surface ofthe drums, while on the drums. as these centers will be from the flat linlosupporting sur face ofthe tabla-while on the table.

3.` A drawing and flattening table for sheet-glass. comprising in combination a pair of rotary cylindrical drums, a station ary table positioned between the drums and having a fiat upper, supporting surface, and

- a flexible link belt adapted to travel around the drums and over the table, thejbelt consisting of a plurality of pivotally connected links. each li/nk having a flat upper sheetsupporting surface. and a lower surface colnprising arcuate link-supporting surfaces at cach end adapted to slide upon the flat -surface of the table. the'central portion of the lower surface being cut away to allow both -the arcuate portions to rest simultaneouslym surface of one of the on the cylindrical drums. v

4. A drawing and flattening table for sheet-glass, comprising` in combination a pair of rotary cylindrical drums, a stationary table positioned between the drums and having a flatupper supporting surface tangent to the upper arcs of thedrums, and a flexible belt adapted to travel around the drums and over the table, the belt con- .Sisting of a plurality of `pivotally connected links, each link havin a flat upper sheetsupporting surface, an a lower surface cornprising arcuate link-supporting surfaces at each end adapted to slide upon the flat surface of the table, the central portion of the lower surfaceA being cut away tov allow both thewarcuate portions to rest-simultaneously on 'the cylindrical surface of one of the drums.

5. A drawing and flattening' table for u; sheet-glass, comprising in combination a pair of rotary cylindrical drums, a stationary table positioned'between the drums and having a lat upper supporting surface, and

a flexible link belt adaptedto'travel around the drums'. and over the table, the belt consisting of a plurality of pivotally connected I links, each link'havig a flat upper'sheetv supporting surface, and a lowersurface comprising arcuate. link-supporting surfaces at each end adzgtedto slide -upon the flat surface of the ta le, the central portion of the lower surface being",v cut away to fit the cy- I- lindr'ical surfaceo-f one of the drums and lalso allow portions of the two arcuate surfaces to rest on this cylindrical drum sur-l face. .i 6. A drawing and flattening table for sheet-glass, comprising lin combination a 1f pair ofrotar cylindrical drums, a stationary table pos1tioned between the drums and having a flat upper supporting surface, and a' flexible link .belt adapted to travel around the drums and over the table, the belt consisting of a plurality o'f'pivotally connected links, each link havingl a at upper sheet.

v supporting surface, and a lower surface comprising arcuate link-supporting surfaces at each end adapted to slide upon the flat surface of the table, the arcuate surfaces being centered at the pivotal aires of the link connections, and the central portion of the lower surface be1n cut away to allow both theI arcuate portions to rest simultaneously on'A the cylindrical surface of one of the drums.

"4', A link for a flexible sheet-glass-supporting conveyor.- table, adapted to travel overv both plane and cylindrical supporting` surfaces, Ithe link having a flat upper sheetsupporting surface, pivots .adjacent each end, and lower link-supporting surfaces adfaces respectively c'entered at the ivot-centers, the central lower portion o the linky being cut away between the two arcuate surfaces,`to allow these surfaces to. simultaneously rest upon one `of the cylindrical sur' faces about. which the link is adapted to travel.

9. A linker-for a flexible sheet-giass-sup-l porting conveyor. table, adapted to travel"l over-both plane and cylindrical supporting surfaces, the linlnhayinga llat upper sheetsupporting s surface, pivots 'adjacent each end, and lower arcuatelink-suy port/ing'sur'- faces respectively centered at t e pivot-centers, thesearcuate surfaces bein joined by@ a reversely curved arcuate sur ace having the same center of curvature as' one. of the cylindrical supporting surfaces about which the link is adapted to travel.

Signed at Charleston, in vthe county of Kanawha, and State of West Virginia, this 24th' day of January, 192A.

JOHN L. BRAKE LEWIS D. BLAGKSHERE. 

